Aging

Apr 14, 2020

Dr. Laura Niederhofer

Aging

10,000 people turn 65 every day in America. By 2030, the number of individuals aged 65 and older will exceed those under 20. This is the greatest biomedical challenge we are facing today given that old age is the greatest risk factor for most chronic diseases. Bold and new approaches are needed. Those at the University of Minnesota are taking the lead by developing therapeutics to treat aging in Dr. Laura Niederhofer's program.

Dr. Niederhofer joined the University of Minnesota in 2018 to direct the new Institute on the Biology of Aging & Metabolism, one of the four Medical Discovery Teams at the University of Minnesota. She is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics. Dr. Niedernhofer’s expertise is in DNA damage and repair, progeroid syndromes, cellular senescence and aging. Prior to moving to Minneapolis, Laura was at The Scripps Research Institute in Florida, where she spearheaded identification of an entire new class of drugs. Previously, Laura studied chemistry at Duke University and completed the medical scientist training program at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Laura has been recognized for her research achievements regarding aging, cancer and environmental health science and was the 2018 recipient of the Vincent Cristafolo Rising Star in Aging Research awarded by the American Federation of Aging Research.